Advertise on podcast: Folklore Scotland

From Highland Games, to lifting rocks, to the ba, there is plenty of sportsmanship in Scottish folklore! Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
 facebook.com/FolkloreScotland
 twitter.com/FolkloreScot 
instagram.com/folklorescotland Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] SOURCES https://ntsusa.org/highland-games/ https://www.eftours.com/travel-blog/places-perspectives/highland-games https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_games https://www.scotland.org/events/highland-games/about-highland-games https://www.northlandsbandb.com/whats-on/the-history-of-highland-games-and-gatherings/ https://www.absoluteescapes.com/blog/our-guide-to-scottish-highland-games/ https://www.dunsehistorysociety.co.uk/the-ba-game https://electricscotland.com/history/sport/pastimes8.htm https://www.scottishfootballmuseum.org.uk/football-for-all/scotlands-football-origins/ https://blog.washingtonpost.com/why-we-compete/2007/12/tradition.html https://orcadian.co.uk/uppies-revenge-as-both-new-year-bas-hit-the-wall/ https://www.orkney.com/about/culture/the-ba https://www.scotland.org.uk/features/kirkwall-ba-orkney https://www.lyonandturnbull.com/stories/the-kirkwall-ba https://sheilafleet.com/blogs/news/orkney-traditions-the-kirkwall-ba https://www.scottishbanner.com/2021/12/20/the-kirkwall-ba-orkneys-alternative-festive-tradition/ https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/orkney-blog/beginners-guide-to-the-ba/

Would you take smithing advice from a mysterious stranger? Read a written version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-smith-of-the-socks/ Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop! instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

Ever wondered what happens when you do a Samhain ritual to spy your future spouse? This story was sourced from: https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/61508?l=en Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop! instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

This week on The Crannog, we're going over the sea to Skye to discuss bank robbing witches, a giant's thumb, and a warrior school run by a fearsome queen! Please note, this episode includes discussion of phallic imagery. Tobar an Dualchais interactive storytelling map: https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/map Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
 facebook.com/FolkloreScotland
 twitter.com/FolkloreScot 
instagram.com/folklorescotland Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] SOURCES https://katethulumysterycave.com/2019/07/29/mythology-monday-the-wooing-of-emer/ http://www.paddybrown.co.uk/pdfs/The_Wooing_of_Emer.pdf https://bardmythologies.com/cu-chulainns-training-with-scathach/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sc%C3%A1thach https://spookyscotland.net/scathach/ https://folklorethursday.com/regional-folklore/sgeulachdan-tales-scottish-highlands-hebridean-islands/ https://folklorescotland.com/sgathachs-warrior-school/ https://katethulumysterycave.com/2019/11/04/mythology-monday-cu-chulainns-rocky-montage/ https://discoverhighlandsandislands.scot/en/tapestry/the-old-man-of-storr https://theskyeguide.co.uk/moderate-walks/37-the-storr/ https://hiddenscotland.com/journal/legends-from-the-old-man-of-storr https://www.rabbies.com/en-gb/blog/stories-storr https://timelesstravelsteps.com/old-man-of-storr-isle-of-skye-legends-hike/ https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2013/03/21/folklore-and-legends-of-skye-the-old-man-of-storr/ https://www.andthenimetyoko.com/travel-blog/old-man-of-storr-walk https://risingoutoftheocean.wordpress.com/2017/10/28/old-man-of-storr/ https://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/02/the-old-man-of-storr.html

A tragic tale of two sisters... Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-swans-swim-sae-bonnie/ Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop! instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

This week we have the honour of being joined by Dr Frances Wilkins, a senior lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the Elphinstone Institute, Aberdeen University. Frances joined us to chat all things music and folklore, and even treated us to some tunes! Thank you so much for coming onto the show, Frances 🌿 Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
 facebook.com/FolkloreScotland
 twitter.com/FolkloreScot 
instagram.com/folklorescotland Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] SOURCES https://clan.com/blog/folklore-friday-culzean-castle-and-the-ghostly-piper?srsltid=AfmBOorDNdUcUDmRDKjxX3KinkdqXtFX9Vb_pySvXD3j_aLU2mGYUAie https://localfolklore.weebly.com/ghost-piper.html https://aclanaday.substack.com/p/the-many-ghost-pipers-of-scotland https://www.firesidehorror.co.uk/blog-2/ghostly-folklore-the-ghostly-piper-of-duntrune-castle https://scottishtales.substack.com/p/why-does-scotland-have-so-many-ghost https://theroseandthethistle.com/2019/09/29/the-ghost-piper-of-duntrune-castle2/ https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/the-ghosts-of-culzean-castle https://sorchiadubois.com/spectral-pipers-musical-ghosts-of-scotland/ https://islabankhouse.com/adventures/local-myths-legends/the-ghost-piper-of-fraserburgh

Never gamble on the Sabbath, or with the devil... Find a text version of this story on our website: folklorescotland.com/earl-beardie-and-auld-nick/ Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop! instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

Such a fun part of folklore is observing how it was used to understand the world and give meaning to things around us, so we dedicated a whole episode to it! This week on the Crannog we're looking at how the island of Islay came to be, the origin of the new year celebration of Hogmanay, and how Scotland gained its flag, its thistle, and its stag. Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
 facebook.com/FolkloreScotland
 twitter.com/FolkloreScot 
instagram.com/folklorescotland Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] SOURCES https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiology https://www.icysedgwick.com/islay-folklore/ https://sirbowmore.nl/bowmoresite/legends.htm https://maltandoak.com/yula-princess-or-goddess-of-islay-island-malts/ https://peatzeria.com/blog/scottish-folklore-islay-myths-legends/ https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/159393/folklore/clachan-ceann-ile?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://pantheon.org/articles/i/ile.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com#google_vignette https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2025/12/cailleach-scotland-ice-queen/ https://www.reddit.com/r/IrishFolklore/s/jVWNx9CPmi https://folklorescotland.com/a-coal-for-the-hearth-at-hogmanay/ https://scottishtales.substack.com/p/the-origins-of-first-footing-in-scotland https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-History-of-Hogmanay/ https://www.scotland.org/events/hogmanay https://www.edinburghfestivalcity.com/inspiration/523-facts-about-hogmanay https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38477036 https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/events/christmas-winter-festivals/hogmanay https://spookyscotland.net/hogmanay/

A tragic tale of a brother who was left out... Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-cruel-brother/ Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop! instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

The first episode in an exciting new series that celebrates the Scots language! Coorie in a telling of The Seamaiden in Scots! Adapted from a tale of the same name in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, by Donald MacPhie from South Uist. English adaption by Roisin McCrimmon, Scots translation and narration by Rosie Young. Read the Scots version and its English translation here: https://folklorescotland.com/the-seamaiden/ Some lesser-known Scots words featured in this story. These definitions are from The Online Scots Dictionary, found at ww.scots-online.org. stoonin - aching gowpin - throbbing pain snirkle - to tangle burble - a tangle currack - specific type of seaweed, laminaria digitata drou - specific type of seaweed, thin stringy seaweed buckie - whelk leam - to gleam and glitter deek - to see, to descry cowp - bargain, or to topple over in a fair fimmis - in a state of excitement boorach - a group, a cluster kempy - fearless, brave kythe - to emerge agrouf - in a prone position, flat Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
facebook.com/FolkloreScotland instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

Black Douglas is an infamous character in Scottish history, so of course there are a fair few stories about his exploits! In this episode of the the Folklore Scotland Podcast, hear all about how he helps to avenge an old woman for the death of her three sons 🏹 Story: The Weird of the Three Arrows Adapted from Folklore and Legends of Scotland by W.W. Gibbings by Rebecca Brown Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-weird-of-the-three-arrows/ Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
facebook.com/FolkloreScotland instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

The Crannog is back! For our first episode this season, we wanted to pay tribute to Graeme's lovely doggy, and sorely missed friend of the podcast, Molly. Join us as we talk all about animal companions in Scottish folklore! Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
 facebook.com/FolkloreScotland
 twitter.com/FolkloreScot 
instagram.com/folklorescotland Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] SOURCES https://www.highlandenvironmentforum.info/biodiversity/action-plan/marine-biodiversity/gaelic-tales/ https://www.stbridesglasgow.org/the-oystercatcher https://www.waderquest.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Newsletter-Oct2018-Brides-bird.pdf https://thecaitsithfoundation.com/blog/the-1553-text-that-started-the-nine-lives-myth/ https://folklorescotland.com/cat-sith/ https://www.visitingscotland.com/discover/culture/cat-sith https://scotlands-stories.com/cat-sith-scotland-fairy-cat/ https://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk/news-offers/scottish-folklore-cat-sith-cu-sith https://spookyscotland.net/cat-sith/ https://www.popmatters.com/beware-cat-william-baldwin-feature https://electricscotland.com/books/wh4-1.htm

GUESS WHO'S BACK! Story: Spears and Jacks Originally by Walter Scott, read by David White Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
facebook.com/FolkloreScotland instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

It's the last episode of the season, and we trawled the folklore archive for evidence of dragons. We hope you all have a lovely festive season, and a merry Christmas if you celebrate (drink responsibly and don't end up like the Mester Stoor Worm.) We'll be back on Monday 22nd June 2026 for a brand new season of the podcast! Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
 facebook.com/FolkloreScotland
 twitter.com/FolkloreScot 
instagram.com/folklorescotland Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected] SOURCES https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoor_worm https://valhalla-vikings.co.uk/blogs/norse-mythology-gods/jormungandr?srsltid=AfmBOor8Gfjs3u6Bt1XoKgHLKSxzzQSPnZ9fCVmj5l1SA-RJ1UPDVvtY https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/hesione.html https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42916/jabberwocky https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-History-of-Orkney-Shetland/ https://folklorescotland.com/assipattle-and-the-mester-stoor-worm/ https://folklorescotland.com/martin-and-the-dragon/ https://folklorescotland.com/the-worm-of-linton/ https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/legends/the-linton-worm/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worm_of_Linton https://www.scotclans.com/pages/the-linton-worm https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Linton_Worm https://sommewyrm.wordpress.com/2016/04/23/the-linton-wyrm/ https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/culture/scotlands-rival-to-st-george-and-the-dragon/

How exactly does a good name give strength? Find out in this episode of Campfire Tales! Story: The Gudeman of Ballengeich Written and read by David White Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-gudeman-of-ballengeich/ Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series! www.linleybarba.com/ Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
facebook.com/FolkloreScotland instagram.com/folklorescotland/ Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]